Top 10 Unexpected Cameos in British Soaps

This hard-to-miss but easy-to-love Shakespearean actor turned up in the popular daytime soap “Doctors” not once, but twice - tackling different roles in seasons nine and thirteen. His first appearance however was arguably also the most memorable. In typical Blessed style, he played the boisterous Micky “Rebel” Becket, a drunken troublemaker with a larger-than-life personality. Complete with thunderous Yorkshire accent, a full and hearty beard, and thespian-esque acting, he certainly injected some life and colour into the BBC drama, bringing plenty of Prince Vultan to the role with him. Any parting wisdom for us, Mr. “Rebel” Becket?

Radio One’s Grimmy was on a “soap bombing” mission throughout 2013, making brief cameos in “EastEnders”, ‘Coronation Street”, “Emmerdale” and even “Home and Away”. But it was his sighting in Cheshire that was the most notable, since he actually, you know, spoke. Flexing his acting chops, he had a small speaking part in which he played a celebrant whose mother almost made him late for the naming ceremony of Diane and Tony’s twin children. It was almost as heroic as his plucky Yorkshire everyday-hero who got THIS classic line . . .

Radio One DJs strike again in this crime-ridden Cheshire village. Scott Mills managed to land his cameo after revealing his love for the Channel 4 show live on air, which also meant that he was apparently very nervous when it came to filming his scene. Rocking up in full police gear, hat ‘n’ all, outside the “Drive ‘n’ Buy”, he gave some useful legal advice before nailing the walk back to his police car and driving off into the distance. The same year, he was also in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it walk-by in “The Bill”.

True, Eddie Redmayne’s guest appearance on everyone’s favourite daytime medical drama wasn’t exactly surprising when it actually happened – after all, he was but a budding actor back in 2003. But, nowadays he’s a pretty big deal, and his work as Rob Huntley in “Doctors” feels a long, long way from the blockbuster biopics and Wizarding World sagas he’s famous for. In the episode, he plays a disillusioned high school kid with a demanding father and an absent mother. A humble start to a Hollywood career, but one that all Eddie fans should see.

When Kim Butterfield was held hostage by the evil Ryan Knight, played by Duncan from the band Blue, all she had to keep her going were tinned beans and a Rick Astley poster - which she got rather close to during the ordeal. Up until his very brief cameo, Astley’s only appearance on the soap had been in 2D, so when Kim sat down at the bus stop, about to flee the village, it was a huge surprise to us all to see the man himself, sitting there reading the Chester Herald.

Only the more eagle-eyed viewers among us would have caught this ever-so-brief cameo by TV’s very own Chatty Man. During Yazz’s tense confrontation with Diane and Tony over their formal complaint about Yazz’s mum Misbah, something very unexpected happens when Mr. Carr himself, along with two Irish Red Setters, walks on by, even stopping to eavesdrop until he’s rumbled. The dogs were actually his own dogs, Bev and Joyce. It all happens without him saying a single word. Afterwards, Carr revealed that it was promotion for his “Crufts” coverage.

Britain’s most successful female Olympian has achieved plenty during her career, including two gold medals, one silver, and MBE and CBE awards for her services to cycling. In 2014, she added something else to her CV: an “Emmerdale” cameo! She played herself, there in Emmerdale to officiate the reopening of home Farm. It was all part of the 2014 Tour de France promotions, which kicked off in Yorkshire that year. To her credit, as an amateur, her acting was better than the flat TIRE we expected, and she remained in the SADDLE thanks to a solid handle on her lines . . . Sorry.

Bolton’s very own garlic bread king materialised on the Weatherfield streets as the one and only Eric Gartside - a red-headed hopeless romantic. He attempted to woo Shelley, former barmaid at the Rovers Return, but didn’t get very far, after she discovered that he still lived at home with his overbearing mother. This wasn’t his first appearance on the soap, as he also had a one-off role as a shoplifter back in 1997. Looks like he learned a valuable lesson back then about crime . . . but still has a few things to learn about being an adult.

Now for a good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll cameo by the band who sung “Rockin’ All Over the World” and “Whatever You Want”. Stopping by for an unexpected appearance in three episodes, band-members Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt performed at the wedding reception of notorious couple Les and Cilla. Apparently, it came about after Bruce Jones, who plays Les, went to see Status Quo play, and Rossi asked to be in the show. Even more bizarrely, it marked the exit of Candice, who left to tour with The Quo as their stylist.

We’ve all seen politicians trying to act like everyday people - holding pints in country pubs, or wearing hi-vis jackets on building sites - but we don’t think anyone ever expected Boz-Joz to show up at the Queen Vic. Peggy Mitchell had gone off on a rant earlier in the episode about giving the fluffy-haired Tory a piece of her mind should she ever meet him . . . so it was much to her surprise when he actually appeared. Of course, she wasn’t true to her word, and was actually very courteous to the London Mayor.